Page 121 of The Dragon Queen

This way.

I was used to my dragon’s mysterious responses, but this was the oddest. She led me deeper into the darkness, forcing me to stumble after her until I found them.

“This way!” That imperious hiss, the hoarse whisper, I knew exactly what she was, even if not who. A woman emerged from somewhere, the darkness making it impossible to see, then waved some others forward. Children, that’s what I saw, each one scurrying out of the hole like a skulk of fox kits. “Come along now. Quick sticks!”

A chorus of grumbles from the children didn’t stop them from obeying the woman, another coming up the rear.

“Follow Aunty Rosie,” the other woman said in the sing-song voice of a nursery attendant. “This way. Well done, my lovelies.”

“But where are we going?” one boy whined. “And why now? It’s dark.”

“I want my mummy!” a much smaller child said before shoving her thumb into her mouth to self soothe.

“We all do, lovies.” Both women brought the children together. “They love you very much, your parents. That’s why they’ve paid Aunty Rosie good coin to get you out of the city. We’ll get you all to Tharfield and settle you in a safe house there. When the trouble has blown over, your parents will join you there. Won’t that be nice?”

“Our parents are in Tharfield?” a young lad asked.

The women shared a look.

“Yes, lovies, so let’s get going. We walk by night, sleep by day, just like the bats below the duke’s keep.”

The second woman performed an elaborate dance as she pretended to be a bat. That had the children chuckling and me drawing closer. A twig breaking under my feet, that’s what made them all go very still. The women moved like lighting, putting themselves between the children and me. Knives were pulled from their skirts and held outright, their stances impeccable. These were women who knew what they were doing.

“Stay still, my lovies, and close your eyes,” Rosie said. “Count to ten and all will be well. Who can get started?”

“Me! One… two…”

“And who might you be?” The second woman had been all warmth moments ago, but now her face hardened as she looked me over. “One of those bloody Royal Riders, are ya? We don’t have dragon eggs, gold, nothing.”

“We don’t have any money?” one of the children whined. “But how will we?—?”

“Yes, you do.” I plucked the bag of coins from my belt and tossed it to Rosie. “That’s why I’ve come.” I had a hunch, one borne from looking at Marcus’ map. “Marcus Lighthands sends his regards.”

“Does he indeed?” Rosie puffed up like a cat. “Well, you tell that brother of mine he needs to get moving, and soon. The king and that woman of his, they’re going to lay waste to the whole city.” She turned at the sound of yet more voices. “Some of us are getting out. We know what’s to come. A siege, and we’ll be eating rat pie for years to come or worse, starving to death, or being blown to smithereens by the king’s magic.”

“They say he wields lightning bolts like the storm god,” the other woman said, warily peering at me. “Is that true?”

I didn’t get a chance to answer. A shriek and then another group came spilling out of what appeared to be a cave entrance.

“Gods above!” another woman gasped. “That place gives me the bloody willies!”

“The ghost of Drathnor get ya, did he?” Rosie and her companion cackled, but then some of the children began to cry. “Oh, I’m sorry, lovies. There’s no such thing. Just a bloody big set of bones and a feeling of wrongness that keeps the guards away.”

I remembered then the mark on the map. It said something about smugglers, but I assumed it was a misprint, because most smugglers came and went via sea, not land, but that wasn’t my focus right now.

“Marcus has a message for you,” I told them. “Get as far from the city as possible.” I had the women and children’s attention in ways I couldn’t with the riders. “You don’t want to be anywhere near the peninsula by tomorrow.”

“Like that, is it?” Rosie stood tall, then hefted the coin bag in her hand. “My brother has to have had a major change of heart. I usually just get messages to sell these goods or run this parcel to that place and for considerably less coin. You have my thanks, milady.”

“Milady?” the third woman said, staring at me wide eyed.

“She’s someone posh, that’s for certain,” the second woman said. “The hair looks like a boy’s, but that accent…” She frowned. “Rumour is the king likes men more than women and his queen was forced to shave her head to catch his attention.”

Oh yes, I definitely had their attention now.

“Who I am doesn’t matter,” I told them. “What does matter is getting those children to safety.” I peered past the women. “You need to mind Rosie and the other ladies. They’ll keep you safe, but you need to be quiet as mice. You can do that, can’t you?”

I found myself mimicking a mouse’s behaviour, taking mincing little steps, which had them giggling, but not for long.

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